The strange thing about reading authors’ blogs and following them on Twitter is that you start to feel like you know them, even when you’ve never met. For someone like me, who tends to be a little shy, it’s a great way to connect with other writers. But I discovered that getting to know people online first helps when meeting them in person too.
On Saturday I packed my husband in the car and took him along to a reading and book signing by Kate Messner at Newtonville Books. It was a good turnout and overall a really fun event. I’d only been in touch with Kate online, but she was just as nice and friendly in person. Usually I would have been nervous to go right up and talk to her, but since we’d exchanged messages online, I felt much more comfortable. And it turned out my agent and a couple other people I knew were also at the signing, which made it even more fun.
Tonight I’ll be continuing the trend of writing-related events by attending the Boston area’s first Kid Lit Pie Night. It’s an opportunity for anyone interested in children’s literature to get together, eat pie, and chat. I know a few people who are going to be there, but there will also be a few I’ve only “met” online. I’ll make sure to report all about it tomorrow.
Some people complain about what a time-suck Twitter, Facebook, etc. are (and they certainly can be) but I think they are also a really great way for writers to connect and support each other. Since writers tend not to be the most social creatures by nature, giving us a way to connect and network without having to crawl out of our caves is wonderful. And sometimes it even makes us go out into the sunlight and try to find each other!
- Categories: Random Fun, Resources
I know exactly what you mean. I was trying to explain how I “sort of” knew an author b/c we had corresponded on line. I don’t know her know her, but I felt like I did.
You can get really squirrely if you’re home and writing without any sense that there are other folks out there doing the same thing.
I don’t know about other writers, but it normalizes how I spend so much of my time.
Totally agree that they are a great way to connect. It’s a wonderful way to meet people with similar interests. And the pie sounds delish!